1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier or a printer, including a fixing device that fixes an unfixed toner image to a recording material, the unfixed toner image being formed on the recording material by using, for example, electrophotographic recording technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of related technologies and increasing market requirements, methods of visualizing image information, such as an electrophotographic method, by forming an electrostatic latent image have been used in various fields, such as the fields of copiers and printers.
In particular, in recent years, there have been increasing demands for environmental protection and cost reduction, and technologies for reducing toner consumption have become extremely important. The technologies for reducing toner consumption are also important from the viewpoint of reducing the energy generated in the process of permanently fixing toner to a recording material. In particular, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses used in offices, these technologies play an important role in complying with energy saving requirements.
PTL 1 to PTL 3 describe technologies in which toner having high tinting power is used and the amount of toner transferred onto the recording material is reduced so that a toner image in the fixed state has the required image density.